Key Takeaways
- Arsenal were denied a late penalty after the referee reversed his decision following VAR review and pressure from the home crowd.
- Mikel Arteta intends to use the sense of unfair treatment to energise his squad for the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
- The Gunners dominated possession but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities against Atlético’s compact defence.
Mikel Arteta wants his players to turn their anger into fight. The Arsenal manager believes unfair referee decisions in Madrid can unite his team for the Champions League semi-final return match.
Arsenal drew 1-1 with Atlético Madrid in the first match of the semi-final on Wednesday night. The result left the Gunners feeling frustrated. They believed they deserved a late penalty that was cancelled after a long video review.
The incident happened in the 78th minute. Eberechi Eze went down inside the box after a challenge from David Hancko. Referee Danny Makkelie first pointed to the penalty spot. However, he then watched the replay 13 times on the pitch-side monitor. He finally decided there was not enough contact for a foul.
Declan Rice criticised the decision. The Arsenal midfielder claimed the referee changed his mind because of the 70,000 whistling home supporters. “It is a clear penalty,” Rice told reporters. “The fans provoked the decision.”
Earlier in the match, luck had also gone against Arsenal. Ben White blocked a shot with his hand inside the area. After a VAR check, the referee gave Atlético a penalty. Julián Alvarez scored to make it 1-1.
Arteta has complained about officials before. Last weekend, he said Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope should have seen a red card. He also felt Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov deserved dismissal in an earlier match. The Spanish coach hopes that highlighting these issues might help his team get better decisions in future games.
Now Arsenal must focus on winning the second leg in London. They need to attack better than they did in Madrid. After a difficult start, Arsenal controlled the ball for long periods. However, they only created a few real chances. Noni Madueke ran with the ball well, and Martin Ødegaard had one good opportunity. Viktor Gyökeres scored the penalty that put Arsenal ahead.
In the second half, Atlético defended deeper and pressed harder. Ademola Lookman missed two big chances for the home side. Antoine Griezmann also hit the crossbar. Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak said his team felt positive about the result.
Arteta hopes to have key players back for Tuesday’s match. Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze might start after fitness concerns. Kai Havertz could also return from injury. Atlético face their own worries. Striker Julián Alvarez left the pitch with a problem after 77 minutes.
The tie remains open. Atlético midfielder Marcos Llorente expects another difficult battle in London. “It is two teams with very clear ideas,” he said. “It will be another war.”